Washington Mystics

Elena Delle Donne's status for Game 3 of the 2019 WNBA Finals remains up in the air as she battles a back injury. 

The Washington Mystics announced Wednesday the 2019 MVP suffered a small disc herniation and is undergoing treatment. The team will update her availability on Saturday.

Delle Donne was limited to 3:28 before leaving in the first quarter of the Mystics' 99-87 Game 2 defeat. Although she probably wouldn't have been able to neutralize Jonquel Jones (32 points, 18 rebounds) inside, her shooting would've helped Washington keep pace offensively.

The back injury is a particularly cruel blow because Delle Donne was limited in the 2018 Finals as well with a bone bruise in her left knee. She took part in the series but was clearly not at 100 percent as the Mystics were swept by the Seattle Storm.

The Storm were the No. 1 seed and had the reigning MVP, Breanna Stewart, a season ago, so Washington would've been underdogs even with a healthy Delle Donne.

This season is different. The Mystics finished the regular season with the best record (26-8) and were first in net rating (14.8), per WNBA.com.

In terms of efficiency, Delle Donne took her game to another level. She was the first WNBA player to join the 50/40/90 club, shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 43.0 from beyond the arc, and 97.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Washington is far from a one-woman show, but Delle Donne was the MVP for a reason. The Mystics could be in trouble if they can't count on her to play like her usual self.

Washington Mystics power forward Elena Delle Donne has been named the 2019 WNBA MVP.

According to ESPN's Mechelle Voepel, Delle Donne received 41 of 43 first-place votes. Here's a closer look at the reported voting breakdown:

1. Elena Delle Donne (WAS): 420

2. Brittney Griner (PHO): 167

3. Jonquel Jones (CON): 145

4. Nneka Ogwumike (LA): 128

5. Natasha Howard (SEA): 121

6. Courtney Vandersloot (CHI): 81

Delle Donne is now a two-time MVP after previously winning the award in 2015 as a member of the Chicago Sky.

The 30-year-old was second in scoring this season with 19.5 points per game, and she also averaged 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks. She became the first player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

In going 114 of 117 from the charity stripe for a 97.4 percent success rate, she set a WNBA single-season record as well (at least 100 attempts).

Delle Donne is now in elite company as the sixth player in WNBA history to win multiple MVP awards, joining Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Candace Parker.

The six-time All-Star said the following of being named MVP for the second time, per Voepel: "It's a huge thing. It's something that, when my career is over, maybe I'll look back on it and brag to my kids or grandkids."

Under the leadership of Delle Donne, the Mystics went a WNBA-best 26-8 during the regular season. They currently hold a 1-0 lead over the Las Vegas Aces in the best-of-five semifinal playoff round.

The Mystics reached the WNBA Finals for the first time last season, and Delle Donne is also looking for her first title individually.

Elena Delle Donne can do it all.

On Sunday, the Washington Mystics star made history, becoming the first WNBA player to finish a regular season shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the foul line. Her free throw percentage of 97.4 is a record for a player with at least 100 attempts, according to ESPN.

And her NBA contemporaries took notice.

Only eight players in NBA history have admission into the 50-40-90 club, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post: Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Malcolm Brogdon. That's elite company to share.

Not surprisingly, Delle Donne led the Mystics to the best record in the WNBA this season (26-8) and a double-bye into the semifinals. 

Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne is officially questionable for Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, the team announced Wednesday. 

According to the Mystics, Delle Donne suffered a bone bruise to her left knee in Tuesday's 78-75 defeat:

Delle Donne was driving to the basket with a little over three minutes left in regulation Tuesday when her left knee buckled. She was helped back to the locker room after remaining down on the court for an extended period of time.

While the injury initially looked serious, Delle Donne had fans feeling a little more optimistic with her comments after the game.

"I mean, I'm walking," she said, per ESPNW's Mechelle Voepel. "The swelling isn't terrible. I'll go home [Wednesday] and see our doctors, and see what they say. But I'm hopeful to be back in the lineup Friday."

Delle Donne finished third in the 2018 WNBA MVP voting behind Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart and Dallas Wings center Liz Cambage. She averaged 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists and was fourth in the league in win shares (5.9), per Basketball Reference.

The Dream are themselves playing short-handed, with Angel McCoughtry out for the year with a knee injury. But Atlanta has weathered the storm without McCoughtry, and the timing of her injury allowed head coach Nicki Collen time to adjust before the postseason got underway.

Losing Delle Donne in the middle of the semifinals could be the kind of blow from which Washington can't recover. 

A nightmare scenario for the Washington Mystics came true Tuesday night as Elena Delle Donne suffered a possibly devastating injury in the fourth quarter:

Despite the apparent severity of the injury, she was relatively upbeat after the game.

"I mean I'm walking," Delle Donne said, per Gene Wang of the Washington Post. "The swelling isn't terrible, so I'll go home and see our doctors and see what they say, but I'm hopeful."

The Mystics were locked in a heated Game 2 battle in the WNBA semifinals against the Atlanta Dream when their top scorer was helped off the court with just a few minutes remaining.

Atlanta came away with a 78-75 victory to even the series at 1-1.

Delle Donne ranked third in the WNBA with 20.7 points per game this season, earning her fifth All-Star selection in six years in the league.

She was also the league's MVP in 2015 while a member of the Chicago Sky.

The 28-year-old has especially stepped up for Washington in the playoffs, leading the team to a Game 1 win over the Dream with 32 points and 13 rebounds. She was on her way to another dominant showing with 27 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in Game 2 before the injury.

Lindsay Gibbs of ThinkProgress noted the impact she has on the floor:

The Mystics are set to return home for Game 3 of the five-game series on Friday, but it could be difficult for them to advance to the next round without Delle Donne if the injury turns out to be serious.

Kristi Toliver and Ariel Atkins will have to be among those who step up offensively with the star forward unavailable.